Hank Posted August 5 Report Posted August 5 6 minutes ago, Yetti said: 3. As if you are going to find a bottom tap to fix it Why is it so difficult to find a bottoming tap?
N201MKTurbo Posted August 5 Report Posted August 5 57 minutes ago, Hank said: Why is it so difficult to find a bottoming tap? Just take a regular tap to the grinder. 1 1
N201MKTurbo Posted August 6 Report Posted August 6 9 hours ago, PT20J said: I’d just use a depth gauge to measure one of the good holes. They take pretty short screws. If someone puts in too long a screw it will break through the soft magnesium wheel and rub on the tube. Or bottom out and strip the threads.
MikeOH Posted August 6 Report Posted August 6 4 hours ago, Yetti said: 7. Are the covers even necessary? They are to the inside while the wheel is up. For the win! Never had covers on mine when I bought; didn't even know they were a thing until MS educated me 1
Yetti Posted August 6 Report Posted August 6 14 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said: Just take a regular tap to the grinder. My Grandfather who owned 20 plus hammers because there is always the right tool for the job would berate you for your heresy . it's not that hard to find them anymore with online ordering. https://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn/Threading/Taps?navid=2105965&rdrct=taps 10 years ago the struggle was real.
N201MKTurbo Posted August 6 Report Posted August 6 6 minutes ago, Yetti said: My Grandfather who owned 20 plus hammers because there is always the right tool for the job would berate you for your heresy . it's not that hard to find them anymore with online ordering. https://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn/Threading/Taps?navid=2105965&rdrct=taps 10 years ago the struggle was real. https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/02383891 If you look at the picture of the purchased bottoming tap, you will see that it still has a lead in of about two threads. If you grind the lead in off, you can actually get the threads all the way to the bottom. You just have to be careful when starting it.
Yetti Posted August 6 Report Posted August 6 1 hour ago, N201MKTurbo said: https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/02383891 If you look at the picture of the purchased bottoming tap, you will see that it still has a lead in of about two threads. If you grind the lead in off, you can actually get the threads all the way to the bottom. You just have to be careful when starting it. small threads, soft metal, I would have to take it off and put it on the drill press and use a centering end point to make it work and would probably still fubar it. I would buy 2 start it with the unground one or a regular. Then use the ground one to finish up. But I am going to be really pissed at the shop after I spent a day fixing it and they gorilla hand it and strip them out again. I still like the jb weld idea. To the point of coating a screw with grease. Fill hole with Jb weld. put screw in hole and let dry. Form a threads. take like half an hour and if it works great, otherwise fill it up again and drill and tap. 3
Utah20Gflyer Posted August 8 Report Posted August 8 I have this exact problem. My solution was to toss the tiny washer that went with the screw. Apparently there were enough threads at the bottom to make the screw work. I still have the original screw holes so when the time comes this solution doesn’t work I will drill out for the next size and tap it. I may do all three because having one different screw is annoying. One last suggestion. Sometimes if you insert a thin piece of plastic or paper in the hole it will tighten things up enough to hold firmly. I would consider this a temp fix because of the annoyance factor. But if you want to fly before you perform the real fix this usually works. 1
N201MKTurbo Posted August 8 Report Posted August 8 13 minutes ago, Utah20Gflyer said: I have this exact problem. My solution was to toss the tiny washer that went with the screw. Apparently there were enough threads at the bottom to make the screw work. I still have the original screw holes so when the time comes this solution doesn’t work I will drill out for the next size and tap it. I may do all three because having one different screw is annoying. One last suggestion. Sometimes if you insert a thin piece of plastic or paper in the hole it will tighten things up enough to hold firmly. I would consider this a temp fix because of the annoyance factor. But if you want to fly before you perform the real fix this usually works. I went to a MT propellor maintenance seminar once. They were talking about the holes where the mill spec lag bolts screw into the blades. I asked if they wouldn’t torque up, if they would put a match stick in the hole. They said they have mil spec match sticks to put into the holes. 1 2
Hank Posted August 8 Report Posted August 8 1 hour ago, N201MKTurbo said: They said they have mil spec match sticks to put into the holes. There's a mil spec for everything. C Rarions (predecessor to MREs) used to include cigarettes and matches with the (alleged) food. And fire tablets.
Paul Thomas Posted August 8 Report Posted August 8 On 8/5/2025 at 8:54 PM, MikeOH said: For the win! Never had covers on mine when I bought; didn't even know they were a thing until MS educated me Don't they help keep even more stuff out of the wheel bearing than the felts do?
DonMuncy Posted August 8 Report Posted August 8 8 minutes ago, Paul Thomas said: Don't they help keep even more stuff out of the wheel bearing than the felts do? That is what we tell ourselves, when we really just like the way they look. 1 3
MikeOH Posted August 8 Report Posted August 8 1 hour ago, Paul Thomas said: Don't they help keep even more stuff out of the wheel bearing than the felts do? In eight years I've yet to do any 'back country' operations in my Mooney So far, concrete and asphalt runways don't seem to have resulted in stuff in the wheel bearings.
EricJ Posted August 8 Report Posted August 8 1 hour ago, Paul Thomas said: Don't they help keep even more stuff out of the wheel bearing than the felts do? Doubtful. For those who really worry about that there is now a bearing seal option to replace the felts for many Mooneys.
Paul Thomas Posted August 9 Report Posted August 9 8 minutes ago, MikeOH said: In eight years I've yet to do any 'back country' operations in my Mooney So far, concrete and asphalt runways don't seem to have resulted in stuff in the wheel bearings. I don't have the bush kit either and since my bearings get repacked every year, I'm not sure how useful they are. I have noticed some damage on the flaps though that I could have avoided with mudflaps or fenders. Back in the early days of the AOPA board, there use to be someone that took his Mooney on back country strips, places I wouldn't consider even in a 182.
Hank Posted August 9 Report Posted August 9 11 minutes ago, Paul Thomas said: I don't have the bush kit either and since my bearings get repacked every year, I'm not sure how useful they are. I have noticed some damage on the flaps though that I could have avoided with mudflaps or fenders. Back in the early days of the AOPA board, there use to be someone that took his Mooney on back country strips, places I wouldn't consider even in a 182. That was @piperpainter, in his red C. He now has a more appropriate tailwheel plane with tundra tires, last I heard. 2 hours ago, Paul Thomas said: Don't they help keep even more stuff out of the wheel bearing than the felts do? That's what I thought as a new owner, admiring a set of chrome wheel covers to aid in visibility. But I was discouraged from buying them by my IA, something about heat buildup and difficulty to inspect the bearings.
Paul Thomas Posted August 9 Report Posted August 9 23 minutes ago, Hank said: That was @piperpainter, in his red C. He now has a more appropriate tailwheel plane with tundra tires, last I heard. That's what I thought as a new owner, admiring a set of chrome wheel covers to aid in visibility. But I was discouraged from buying them by my IA, something about heat buildup and difficulty to inspect the bearings. I do believe that's who I remember, the name is familiar, although in my memory the strips shorter and bumpier. Rumor has it that the only reason he was able to get out of some of those places are the wheel covers. 1
EricJ Posted August 9 Report Posted August 9 31 minutes ago, Hank said: That was @piperpainter, in his red C. He now has a more appropriate tailwheel plane with tundra tires, last I heard. That's what I thought as a new owner, admiring a set of chrome wheel covers to aid in visibility. But I was discouraged from buying them by my IA, something about heat buildup and difficulty to inspect the bearings. If a bearing is leaking it'll leave streaks on the wheel, which you wouldn't be able to see if there was a cover on it. Likewise making sure that the cotter pin is there, etc. 1
Hank Posted August 9 Report Posted August 9 19 minutes ago, Paul Thomas said: I do believe that's who I remember, the name is familiar, although in my memory the strips shorter and bumpier. Rumor has it that the only reason he was able to get out of some of those places are the wheel covers. He went other shorter, rougher and obstructed fields, too.
Pinecone Posted Monday at 03:07 PM Report Posted Monday at 03:07 PM On 8/8/2025 at 4:40 PM, Hank said: There's a mil spec for everything. C Rarions (predecessor to MREs) used to include cigarettes and matches with the (alleged) food. And fire tablets. FYI before MREs were MCIs (Meals, Combat, Individual). Cans like C-Rations, but not a C-Ration, although commonly called C-Rations. MCIs replaced C-Rations starting in 1958. I went down a Wiki rabbit hole one time about rations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-ration
Yetti Posted Monday at 04:04 PM Report Posted Monday at 04:04 PM On 8/8/2025 at 7:08 PM, Paul Thomas said: I don't have the bush kit either and since my bearings get repacked every year, I'm not sure how useful they are. I have noticed some damage on the flaps though that I could have avoided with mudflaps or fenders. Back in the early days of the AOPA board, there use to be someone that took his Mooney on back country strips, places I wouldn't consider even in a 182. How often do you repack the wheel bearings on your car?
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